Equipment Needed
- A medium mixing bowl
- A sturdy silicone spatula
- A 9-inch pie dish, shallow oven-safe baking dish, or small cast-iron skillet
- Measuring cups and spoons
- A small kitchen towel (for draining the sauerkraut)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by getting that cream cheese truly softened. I leave mine out on the counter for a good hour. If it’s still cold, it will be impossible to blend smoothly, leaving you with unappetizing lumps in your finished dip. In your mixing bowl, combine the soft cream cheese, sour cream, thousand island dressing, and that all-important tablespoon of horseradish. Use your spatula to beat it together until it’s completely smooth, creamy, and uniform in color. This creamy base is what holds all the chunky ingredients together, so take your time here.
Now, for the good stuff. Add your chopped corned beef, the very well-drained and squeezed sauerkraut, and one and a half cups of the shredded Swiss cheese to the bowl. I add a few generous cracks of black pepper here too. This is where you get to fold everything together. I use the spatula in a gentle turning motion, making sure the creamy mixture fully coats every piece of corned beef and strand of kraut. The smell at this stage is already incredible—salty, tangy, and rich.
Once everything is evenly combined, transfer the mixture to your baking dish. I like to use a pie plate because it gives a great surface area for getting golden edges. Spread it out evenly, then top it with the remaining half cup of Swiss cheese. This creates that beautiful, bubbly, browned cheese crust on top. At this point, you could cover and refrigerate it if you’re prepping ahead, which I often do. When you’re ready, pop it into a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven.(See the next page below to continue…)